


The Darkness

by thecookiemomma



Category: NCIS
Genre: Gen, NFA Challenge Response, Psychological Horror, Religious Imagery & Symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-04
Updated: 2012-03-04
Packaged: 2017-11-01 03:00:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/351202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecookiemomma/pseuds/thecookiemomma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A strange darkness settles on the team.  How will they deal with it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> Firstly, this is my first attempt at anything like 'horror'. It didn't turn out to be very 'horrible'. Secondly, there are some cracks in the 'fourth wall' -- they are there merely for amusement. Please take the religious concepts and comments with the respect they were intended.

The windows rattled against the strong wind that blew during the night, and Gibbs looked up, his eyes narrowing. He wasn't afraid, exactly. However, he was ... concerned. The team had been stuck down in Abby's lab for almost twelve hours, and the Darkness had shown no signs of letting up.

He even thought of it with a capital D, because it seemed that the very light had been sucked out of the room. He shuddered, and attempted to 'keep watch.' Abby had wondered if they should change the name to 'Listens' instead of 'Watches', but between his soft growl and Ducky's explanation that 'watch' also meant using _all_ senses to keep track of something, she had subsided.

The day had started off like any other day until one of the other teams had brought in a suspect for interrogation. He looked like a young man, skinny, tattooed, blond hair, about five ten or so. However when Gibbs got a look at his eyes, he could have sworn they were old. Not old like Tony's when he let his guard down, but centuries old. Like the "Ancient Ones" he'd heard Abby blabbing about one time with McGee.

The picture of the kid's face was burned into his memory, and since it was one of the last things he'd seen before the sky started to darken - at 1130 hours, no less - it was fresh in his mind. The eyes were a light green that might have been called 'hazel', but when he looked at Gibbs, the agent could see a red sheen on them. It was kinda like the effect a flash had on people's faces when they were too close to the camera.

He tilted his head, listening to the different sounds. He and Ducky had insisted that they take turns sleeping on Abby's little futon mattress. The younger two scientists were first. Jimmy and Abby were trying to sleep. He could hear the little ruffling sounds the young man made in his sleep, but Abby was probably awake from the sounds he heard. If he was catching the rhythm of her whispered syllables, she was saying the Rosary. She was scared. Jethro could understand that, but he didn't know how to fix this, so he wasn't sure how to tell her it would be okay.

Without the aid of sight cues, Ducky's quiet exhale beside him caught him off guard. "We will survive this, Jethro. Mother and I survived the air raids of nineteen forty, and though they were not quite as dramatically dark as this, the same fear enveloped all of us then. Did you know that we all gathered in shelters much like we are gathered, and I met many intriguing individuals in that time. In fact, I remember one bright young woman ..."

Gibbs tuned out the specifics of the story, but let the man ramble, finding the familiar presence and timbre of his old friend comforting.

He began listening to the words when he realized they were the only thing he could sense beyond those things that were always present: his clothes on his skin, the sound of his heartbeat, the rhythm of the breaths of the people around him, and the smells of their sweat and fear. He stopped for a moment, cataloged each one, drew a deep comfort from it, and moved to the next sensory input. He was inordinately grateful for the story Ducky was telling him because Maria became real to him, and no matter what, she could see daylight. She _had_ seen daylight.

Something loosened in his chest, and he thought he felt the darkness let go just a little. Less than a micron, if he could measure it, but something did break.

"Duck, maybe we're going about this the wrong way." The oldest of their little family had long since finished his tale about Maria and had moved along to another story, this one about delivering a baby in the middle of a firefight. Jethro snorted at his friend, and then fell silent as Ducky pondered his words.

"What do you mean, Jethro? How might we do it differently?" He heard the other agents in the room stepping closer, Ziva's soft-padded, barely-there stride coming closer, then the clickety-clack of Tony's three-hundred dollar leather shoes, and the tap-tap of McGee's loafers. After a moment, the rhythmic syllables faltered, and with a soft oomph, Abby's clomping boots joined them.

"When it's dark, how do you get rid of the darkness?" He heard several simultaneous answers, but the one he heard the loudest was Ziva's.

"You light a candle." Gibbs nodded, then remembered they couldn't see him.

McGee spoke up. "Well, in some of my games, light and darkness are opposing elements. You use a light-based weapon to fight off the darkness, and vice versa."

"Right." He continued, a little unsure of how this could be taken. "So, since we can't use real candles or lights, we need to figure out how to ..."

"How to cheer things up without the aid of light itself." Ducky was getting it now.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs..." Abby was bouncing up and down, he could tell, and in her exuberance, one of her limbs connected with DiNozzo.

"Ouch, Abbs," Tony whined. _Good,_ Jethro thought. _If he's whining, it's not that bad. It's when he **stops** whining that I start to worry. _

"Settle down, Abbs. Whatcha got?" He let the familiar words attempt to ease his team's worries. His own seemed to lighten just that much more.

"I know this sounds hinky, but at this point, everything sounds hinky. I mean, how 'Buffy' is this? Supernatural darkness? Really."

"I was thinking more 'Charmed.' You know, evil, demons, that sort of thing." DiNozzo added his two cents, and Abby drew in a breath to respond to the comment.

Gibbs could feel the man beside him tense up, so he kept his silence and let the medical examiner deal with Abby's rambling. "Dear Abigail, please give us your idea."

"Oh, right. Well, I was thinking that I know a couple songs about light. Like 'This little light of mine'..." Her voice trailed off, and Gibbs could hear one of the agents shifting nervously. He couldn't tell exactly which one it was, but he had a pretty good guess.

"Spit it out, McGee." Tony chuckled softly, probably at his display of seeming-omniscience, and Ziva snorted.

"How do you do that, Boss?" McGee sounded like his attention was drawn away from the raw terror they'd all been feeling. "Uh, anyway. I was thinking of the song you sang the other night. You sound just like that lady, and I think you could pull it off."

"Fire in Your Eyes." Abby was smiling. Gibbs could tell. Her tone lightened a bit. "I like that song. And thank you, Timmy. That's so sweet."

"Worth a shot," Gibbs mused, wondering what Ducky was thinking and gravely missed the ability to gather information from his teammates' faces. "Duck?"

"It does seem to be a valid coping mechanism if it does no more. Definitely worth the attempt." There was a pause, and Gibbs let it stretch, knowing that the older man was considering his own contribution to 'lighting the room'. "I could quote a bit of Burns or Frost. There is surely something in my repertoire that mentions the lights."

Gibbs nodded, forgetting the Darkness again. When he belatedly remembered they couldn't see him, he confirmed his nod with words. "Sounds good, Duck." He wasn't sure what he could do.

"I shall sing a prayer from Hanukkah. It is the Festival of Lights. Even the sight of a row of candles bring it to mind. Perhaps it can work the other way around."

"Oooh, Ziva, that sounds great!" Abby bounced a little more, and Gibbs heard Ziva's sharp exhale; Abby had probably squeezed her tightly in one of her bone-crushing hugs.

"Got somethin' in mind, Boss. A little bit of Johnny Mathis. Well, Debby Boone, if you want to get technical, but I'd rather sing it in the tenor." Gibbs shook his head at his irrepressible Senior Agent, and chuckled softly.

"Alright, DiNozzo." He turned slightly to where he thought their youngest agent might be. "Do you have somethin' in mind, McGee?" He was beginning to realize his own part in this. Would be dammed difficult, but necessary and definitely overdue.

By this time, Palmer was awake, and he stumbled over toward them, not realizing he was interrupting McGee. "What's going on? Did we figure out how to deal with this?"

"Fill 'im in, Duck. McGee?" Gibbs repeated, giving an unnecessary nod toward the man in question.

"Yeah, Boss, I've got something. It's a little unorthodox, but I think it'll work."

Ducky had finished his explanation to his assistant and added his thoughts. "I believe the important thing is that it reminds you of light or dawn or daylight, or candles - or the inner light of human goodness. Or, I suppose, the goodness from ... heaven."

"Lemme go first," Gibbs started, clearing his throat a little nervously. "Wanted to let you all know I'm proud of every damn thing you do. Duck, you're one of my oldest friends, and I don't say it near enough, but I appreciate you." There were sharp gasps of surprise, but he knew he had to go on. "Palmer, you've gotten a lot more bold and a lot better at your job lately. Proud of ya, kid. Marry that girl, and take good care of her. Know it's possible to have a marriage that feels like the early sky at morning all the time, and I hope that's what this one is."

He inhaled, attempting to keep the darker memories at bay, focusing instead on the lights reflecting off red hair, the laughter of small girls in sunshine, and a thousand other little things that had carried him through before. "Abbs... when you came down to my basement... I couldn't say it then, but damn if it isn't true. Every damn word." He heard her clomping steps near, and braced himself for a hug. He leaned in, finding her temple and kissing it gently. "Proud of you."

When Abby finally extricated himself from him, he went on. "Ziver, wasn't sure about you at the first, mostly because I have a thing about picking my own team members." He paused, letting the quiet guffaws subside. "But you're strong. Stronger than I think I could be. Don't know if I'd have dealt as well with the shit that life's thrown you as you have. Proud of you, and damn glad you're on my team."

He paused, considering his words for just a moment, then moved on to McGee. "Tim. You're a very intelligent, very astute man. You're a hell of a writer, and you've got balls of brass when you need 'em. You've come a hell of a long way from the young green kid I stole from Norfolk. Proud of ya." He had saved Tony for the last, partially because it was the hardest to explain, and partially because it was a subconscious choice.

"Anthony. You're still irreplaceable. Could do the damn job without you, but damn glad I don't have to. You've gotten to where you know me and my stubborn ways so well that I don't have to say a thing. Glad you ran me down, glad you followed through. Really glad you didn't take Rota or stay afloat. Couldn't have gotten through a lot of the stuff we've done without you. Wanted you to know I still don't regret my decision to leave the team in your hands, and I'd do it again." He ran his hands through his hair. "I've found a family here, and I'm damn proud of every one of you. You've been lights in my lives for a long time. And that's the most you'll hear me say for a year." There were soft huffs of laughter around him, though a couple were accompanied by sniffles. "Now. Somebody else do somethin', before I get embarrassed."

"Oooh, ooh. Let me." Abby grinned. She started off by singing "This Little Light of Mine," and he sang along softly when he realized that Tony and Tim were joining in. Abby had a beautiful singing voice, and it was easy for him to get lost in the rich tones. Then, she started singing another song.

_Stand tall, just believe,  
Cause the fire's in your eyes, yeah the fire's in your eyes  
Big dreams you can achieve,  
Cause the fire's in your eyes, yeah the fire's in your eyes.  
_

He nodded, listening to her repeat the words, then heard Palmer clear his throat on the other side of him. "Do you mind, Abby?"

"Oh, no, if you know all the words, go ahead." Jethro quirked a brow, and then blinked as Jimmy began quoting the lyrics in an easy rhythm, tone quieter than it might be for a large audience, but just fine for them.

When the song was finished, Tony whistled, cheering them on with a bright tone. "Wow, Jimmy. I didn't know you could rap like that."

"For you guys, I can," Jimmy said, sounding a little shy.

"Sounded good, Palmer," Gibbs added.

"Indeed, Mister Palmer. I should have you ..." Ducky cut himself off. "I shall discuss this with you later." He cleared his throat. "I shall give you a wee bit of Burns. 'The Charming Month of May.'" He intoned with a speaking voice, his burr a little thicker than normal. Gibbs grinned to himself; his friend could be such a showman.

_It was the charming month of May,_   
_When all the flow'rs were fresh and gay._   
_One morning, by the break of day,_   
_The youthful, charming Chloe-_

_From peaceful slumber she arose,_   
_Girt on her mantle and her hose,_   
_And o'er the flow'ry mead she goes-_   
_The youthful, charming Chloe._

_Lovely was she by the dawn,_   
_Youthful Chloe, charming Chloe,_   
_Tripping o'er the pearly lawn,_   
_The youthful, charming Chloe._

_The feather'd people you might see_   
_Perch'd all around on every tree,_   
_In notes of sweetest melody_   
_They hail the charming Chloe;_

_Till, painting gay the eastern skies,_   
_The glorious sun began to rise,_   
_Outrival'd by the radiant eyes_   
_Of youthful, charming Chloe._

_Lovely was she by the dawn,_   
_Youthful Chloe, charming Chloe,_   
_Tripping o'er the pearly lawn,_   
_The youthful, charming Chloe._

Gibbs had to chuckle at that and he knew he wasn't the only one. He could hear Tony's snickers and McGee's quiet laugh. Abby was giggling, and Jimmy let out a snort that made his team laugh just a little bit harder. He reveled in the sound, letting it die out naturally.

"Guess I'm up, Boss," Tony announced, then cleared his throat. He, too had a very good singing voice, and it was a rare treat to get to hear it. The rumor was that he played jazz piano, though Gibbs hadn't had a chance to hear it. He wondered what the kid would do with his old piano. Heaven knew no one had played it in years. Maybe Jimmy could tune it for him,and he could let the man have it. Tony opened his mouth, at least Gibbs imagined he did, and belted out a strong tenor song.

_So many nights I'd sit by my window,  
Waiting for someone To sing me a song.  
So many dreams I've kept deep inside me.  
Alone in the dark But now you've come along._

_And you Light up my life.  
You give me hope To carry on.  
You light up my days  
And fill my nights with song..._

_Rolling at sea, Adrift on the waters.  
Could it be finally I'm turning for home?  
Finally, a chance To say, "Hey, I love you,"   
Never again To be all alone._

_And you Light up my life.  
You give me hope To carry on.  
You light up my days  
And fill my nights with song..._   
_It can't be wrong when it feels so right._   
_For you, you light up my life._

Abby cheered, wending her way through them again, and squeezed Tony. Tony gave his normal melodramatic 'oof', and Ducky chuckled. "That was quite well done, my boy."

Gibbs made a decision. "Palmer, got a job for ya when we get outta this." The young man's surprised ... squeak made him grin, and he elaborated. "Got somethin' I want you to look at. Get it ready for someone." He shrugged. "Ziver, you wanna sing those blessings for us?"

Ziva huffed a quiet breath, and mentally, Gibbs could see her bracing herself to begin. "Please do not mock if I do not get the tune right on the first try. It was my _imma's_ task to make sure we kept feasts and so it has been a while since I have been an active participant."

"I've heard you sing, Ziv. You'll be fine." Abby reassured her friend.

"Thank you, Abby." Ziva began singing, humming through the quiet tune once to get her bearings, then singing the tune with the words. Jethro thought he might have heard the tune before, but from Ziva's song, he could almost hear the history, both of her people, and her personally. " _Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam_ ," she sang, 'Blessed are you, Lord God, Sovereign of the Universe', " _asher kidishanu b'mitz'votav v'tzivanu l'had'lik neir shel Chanukah._ " She finished the blessing: 'Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the lights of Chaunukah.' Gibbs was glad of the pervasive darkness for just a split second as his eyes began to water a little. He inhaled sharply, letting the history and beauty of the words wash over him. She continued to sing, this one sounding more like a lullaby than a sacred song, but he knew it was meaningful to her. After a few more quiet songs, she fell silent.

They all felt it, and all kept still for a long moment, the only sound audible the breaths from their lips. Gibbs hadn't felt a peace like that since his momma had kissed his forehead the last time. He smiled, remembering her speaking her pride to him, and the warmth and care he felt, even in the very odd situation.

"Uh." McGee spoke up. "I don't have anything like that, but I do have something that speaks to me in the same way. I'll explain a little so you don't think I'm being sacrilegious." He sighed, and Jethro envisioned his lips thinning as he thought about his words. "I wasn't very popular growing up, and it was always easier for me to find solace in the fantasy world. I loved comic books, and very early on, I used a lot of my allowance on different comics. One of my favorites was Green Lantern. One of the Green Lanterns was a cartoonist. He'd use his imagination to create these things powered by his ring, always managing to save the day in unique ways. I memorized the Green Lantern Oath, and it's still a part of me. It's also part of the reason I joined NCIS. I wasn't a cartoonist, but I could use my unique skills to take down criminals." He paused, and Gibbs' gut loosened at the deep breath he heard. "The Oath goes like this: 'In brightest day, in blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might Beware my power---Green Lantern's light!'"

As McGee spoke the last word, the Darkness began to move, seeming to shrink in on itself. "I know!" Abby said, and Gibbs turned toward her, surprised to nearly be able to make out her features. "Group hug!" With a rueful shake of his head, Gibbs turned, now able to see just enough to locate his agents and scientists.

"Alright, Abbs. Group hug." Gibbs chuckled at her ebullient 'yessss', and wrapped his arms around Abby on one side and Ducky on the other. There wasn't quite enough room for all of them on one side of the table, so they ringed themselves around her silver evidence table, and held on to each other, watching the Darkness continue to fold and shrink like so many yards of black cloth. Eventually, the soft glow of the moonlight began to stream through Abby's window. Gibbs could see just fine until Tony trudged over to flick on the light. "DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked through his blinks, "give a man some warning next time." His gruffness didn't reach his eyes, though. He scanned the room as his eyes adjusted, hungrily taking in the sight of each of his team.

"Yes, Boss, sorry, Boss." Tony intoned, but he was doing the same.

"Oh, Gibbs, that was so _hinky_!!" Abby began nattering as she wandered around the room, checking on her 'babies.' They must have been fine, because the comments stuck to the oddness of the situation, the possibility of voodoo being involved, and her Great Aunt Matilde's method of getting rid of strange things.

He grasped each person by the shoulder in turn, looking into their faces, and assured himself that they were well. After he'd done so, he nodded sharply, turning to the door. "It's ..." He looked down at his orange-banded watch. "Oh-two-thirty." He shook his head again. "Head home, get some sleep. Do what you need to do to keep this kinda crap at bay, and we'll write up some kind of report for Vance in the morning."

There was a scattering of agreement and acceptance, and Gibbs headed out to the car. As he did, he noticed the same young man standing near the door of his car. The blond man gazed at him implacably with the red sheen in his eyes. "Next time," the deep, raspy voice began, "next time, it won't be so easy."

"Damn right," Gibbs replied, teeth bared in a snarl. "Next time, we'll be prepared." He pursed his lips, headed home, and dug around in a box in the attic for a few moments until he found a small string of beads with a cross at the end. "Hail Mary, full of grace..."


End file.
